If your Google Ads results feel stuck, an audit usually finds the cause. Work through this list in your own account and note what you find.

Tracking and setup

1. Conversion tracking. Are you tracking real business actions, like leads, calls and purchases, and not just page views? Check that each conversion is firing and that none are counted twice.
2. Conversion values. For ecommerce, is the revenue value passing back correctly? Smart bidding relies on it.
3. Account structure. Are campaigns split by product or service, with budgets that match what is most profitable?

Search campaigns

4. Match types. Is broad match spending on loosely related searches? Phrase and exact match give you more control.
5. Search terms report. Look at what people actually typed, and add irrelevant terms as negative keywords.
6. Negative keywords. Do you exclude general terms and informational searches that will not buy?
7. Ad copy. Does each ad match the topic of its ad group, and the landing page it leads to? Are you using all the headline and description slots?

Performance Max

8. Placements. Review where Performance Max is showing your ads, and exclude junk sites and apps.

Budget and bidding

9. Budget fit. Is the budget enough for the bid strategy to learn? Campaigns limited by budget often point to this. See what realistic budgets look like.
10. Bid strategy. Is it right for how much conversion data you have? Switching too early or too often resets learning. Read how long Google Ads takes to work.

Landing pages and ownership

11. Landing pages and account ownership. Does the page load fast, match the ad and make the next step obvious? And is the account in your name, with you as the owner?

An audit shows what to fix. Fixing it takes consistent management. Before hiring help, read what to ask a PPC agency, and see what a rebuilt account can do. If you want a second set of eyes on your account, we offer a free audit.

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The post Google Ads Audit Checklist: 11 Things to Check in Your Account appeared first on NON-STOP DIGITAL.

Most agencies sound the same on a sales call. The questions below help you tell them apart. Each answer is short, and where we have gone deeper, you will find a link.

1. Who will actually manage my account?

You should know the name of the person making changes in your account, and be able to talk to them directly. At Non-Stop Digital, the person who sets up your campaigns is the person who runs them.

2. How do you charge?

Ask for the full fee structure in writing. Our management fee is a percentage of ad spend, from 20% down to 10% as spend grows, with a $1,000 monthly minimum. Here is how Google Ads management pricing works.

3. Do I own my ad account?

Yes. You own your ad accounts and everything in them. We work in your account, and it stays yours. If an agency runs ads from its own account, you can lose your history and data the day you leave.

4. How long until I see results?

Be wary of anyone promising fast, guaranteed results. Reliable results usually take about three months. Read how long Google Ads takes and why three months matters.

5. Which platform should I start with?

It depends on what you sell and how people buy it. Google Ads vs Meta Ads explains how to choose.

6. What will you report on?

Ask for results tied to your business: leads, sales and return on ad spend. Clicks and impressions alone do not tell you whether the ads are working.

7. Am I locked into a contract?

You should not be. We work month to month, with no long term contract, though we recommend at least three months to give campaigns time to learn.

8. Can I see results from similar clients?

Ask for real examples with real numbers. Here are our case studies: Bob’s Watches, Preferred Immigration Services, Latux Epoxy and eCosmetics.

Red flags to watch for

• Guaranteed rankings, sales or ROAS
• No access to your own ad account
• Long contracts with heavy exit fees
• Reports that only show clicks and impressions
• No direct contact with the person doing the work

Get a Free Audit

The post What to Ask a PPC Agency Before You Hire One appeared first on NON-STOP DIGITAL.

We work month to month, with no long term contract. We still strongly recommend giving any campaign at least 3 months. Here is why, and what happens if you stop earlier.

You are not locked in

You can stop at any time. The 3 months is advice, not a requirement.

What happens in month 1

Campaigns launch and the platform starts learning who responds. Data is thin, results swing, and some money goes to testing what does not work. That is normal and unavoidable.

What happens in month 2

Enough data builds up to see which keywords, audiences and ads work. Budget moves toward them and away from the rest.

What happens in month 3

The account runs on real data, and the numbers become reliable enough to plan around.

What stopping early costs you

If you stop in month 1 or 2, you have paid for the learning and left before the benefit. The campaign also has not had enough data to learn, which makes stopping early counterproductive.

What helps it work faster

• Enough budget. We recommend at least $1,500 per month in ad spend.
• A clear offer and a website that makes it easy to buy or contact you.
• Conversion tracking, which we set up during onboarding.
• Patience in the first weeks.

When stopping early makes sense

If the data shows something is wrong with the offer, the website or the budget, we tell you honestly. We would rather fix it with you than keep spending.

The short answer

You do not have to commit, but giving a campaign 3 months is the best way to find out whether it works. Read more: how much Google Ads management costs, how long Google Ads takes to work and Google Ads vs Meta Ads. Or request a free audit and we will tell you what to expect.

Get a Free Audit →

The post Why We Recommend At Least 3 Months of Paid Ads (Even Without a Contract) appeared first on NON-STOP DIGITAL.

When someone searches for a business like yours nearby, your Google Business Profile is often the first thing they see, before your website. This guide explains what it is and how to set it up properly.

What it is

Your Google Business Profile is the free listing that appears on Google Maps and in local search results. It shows your hours, phone number, website, photos and reviews.

Why it matters

It is free visibility. An unclaimed or incomplete profile means missed customers. A complete one, with real reviews and accurate information, builds trust before anyone calls.

What a good profile includes

• Complete details: hours, phone number, website and photos
• The right categories and services for local search
• A system for responding to reviews
• Insights set up, so you can see how customers find and interact with you

Do you need a physical location?

Google wants either a real address customers can visit, or a service area if you travel to your customers. Businesses with no storefront or office are sometimes rejected, which is a common reason applications fail. We work with service area businesses and know how to set them up correctly.

Common problems

• Suspended profiles. Google can suspend a profile over verification or guideline issues, and recovering one takes careful work.
• Someone else owns the listing. Reclaiming a listing from a former owner or agency is possible but takes extra steps.

What it costs with us

• Standard setup: $500
• Reclaiming an existing listing: $750
• Suspended profiles: from $500
• Ongoing management: $500 per month, covering posting updates, review responses and keeping the profile accurate

The short answer

A complete, accurate and well managed profile is one of the cheapest ways to get found locally. Request a free audit and we will tell you what your profile needs.

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The post Google Business Profile: What It Is and How to Set It Up Right appeared first on NON-STOP DIGITAL.

You can get clicks on the first day. Reliable results take longer. This guide explains what happens in each stage so you know what to expect.

The short answer

Ads can start getting clicks and leads within days of launching. Plan on about 3 months before the results are reliable.

Weeks 1 to 4: collecting data

The campaign launches and Google starts learning who responds to your ads. We watch the search terms, block irrelevant ones and fix what is clearly not working. Results in this stage are the least predictable, and that is normal.

Month 2: finding what works

There is now enough data to see which keywords, ads and audiences bring leads or sales. Budget moves toward them and away from the rest.

Month 3: reliable results

The account has learned from real data, and the numbers become something you can plan around. This is when we can honestly judge your cost per lead or return on ad spend.

What speeds it up or slows it down

• Budget. More budget means more data, faster. Too little slows learning. We recommend at least $1,500 per month in ad spend.
• Your offer and website. A clear offer and a page that makes it easy to contact you or buy convert more of the clicks you pay for.
• Competition. Crowded industries take longer to find a profitable position.
• Tracking. Without conversion tracking, a campaign cannot learn from results. We set it up as part of onboarding.

Why stopping early hurts

Cutting a campaign in month 1 or 2 means paying for the learning and leaving before the benefit. This is why we recommend at least 3 months, even though we work month to month with no contract.

The short answer, again

Expect early activity within days and reliable results at about 3 months. Request a free audit and we will tell you honestly what to expect for your business.

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The post How Long Does Google Ads Take to Work? appeared first on NON-STOP DIGITAL.

If you sell a handful of products on Amazon, you do not need a huge advertising budget. You need a focused one. This guide explains how to size it.

Why a small catalog is an advantage

Fewer products means you can put every dollar behind the ones that earn money. Large catalogs spread budget thin across hundreds of listings. A small catalog can concentrate it.

Start with your most profitable products

We begin with the products that have the best margin and the strongest reviews, not the whole catalog. Advertising a product with thin margins or few reviews mostly burns budget. Once the strong products are working, we expand.

What decides your budget

• Your margin per sale. It sets how much you can pay for a click and still make a profit.
• Your competition. Cost per click varies widely between categories. A budget that works in one can be too small in another.
• How many products you advertise at once. More products need more budget to give each one enough data.

Because every category is different, there is no single number that fits every seller. We provide a specific budget proposal based on your category and margins.

Why the budget still has to be enough

Amazon’s system learns from clicks and sales. If the budget is too low to produce data, you cannot tell what works and what does not. A smaller number of products with enough budget beats many products with too little.

How long until you know it is working?

Plan on about 3 months for reliable results. The first weeks are for testing and cutting wasted spend. Judging earlier usually means stopping right before the account starts to learn.

What does management cost?

Our management fee is a percentage of ad spend, from 20% down to 10% as spend grows, with a minimum of $1,000 per month.

Do you need a contract?

No. We work month to month, though we recommend giving the account at least 3 months.

The short answer

With a small catalog, budget is about focus. Start with your most profitable products, size the budget to your margins and category, and give it time to learn. Request a free audit and we will tell you honestly what budget makes sense for your products.

Get a Free Audit →

The post Amazon Ads for Small Catalogs: How Much Budget Do You Need? appeared first on NON-STOP DIGITAL.

Google Ads and Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) both bring in customers, but they work in opposite ways. Choosing the wrong one first is an expensive way to learn that. This guide helps you decide where to start.

The core difference

• Google Ads reaches people who are already searching. Someone types “emergency plumber near me” or “buy epoxy flooring” and your ad appears. They have a need now.
• Meta Ads reaches people who were not searching. Your ad appears while they scroll, based on their interests and behavior. You create the interest instead of catching it.

Start with Google Ads if

• People already search for what you sell.
• You want leads or sales you can measure quickly.
• Your offer is a clear service or product with a clear price or next step.
• You sell something people need rather than something they discover.

Start with Meta Ads if

• Your product is visual, such as fashion, home goods or food.
• Few people search for it by name, so you need to build awareness.
• You want to retarget people who visited your site but did not buy.
• You have strong images or video to show.

Can you run both?

Yes, and many businesses should, in a sensible order. Start with the platform that matches how your customers buy. Once it is working and you have data, add the second to reach more people and to follow up with visitors. The two work better together than apart.

What budget do you need?

We recommend at least $1,500 per month in ad spend on either platform, and more in competitive industries. With less, the platform does not get enough data to learn. Running both means budgeting for both.

How long until you know it is working?

Plan on about 3 months for reliable results on either platform. The first weeks are for collecting data. Judging the results earlier usually means cutting a campaign right before it starts to learn.

What about creative?

Meta depends heavily on images and video. Ad creative is normally supplied by you. If you want us to produce it, graphic design and video editing are separate services at a separate cost.

Do you need a contract?

No. We work month to month, though we recommend giving any campaign at least 3 months.

The short answer

If people are searching for what you sell, start with Google. If they need to discover you, start with Meta. Not sure which one fits? Request a free audit and we will tell you honestly where we would put your first dollar.

Get a Free Audit →

The post Google Ads vs Meta Ads: Where Should a Small Business Start? appeared first on NON-STOP DIGITAL.

If you are asking what Google Ads management costs, the honest answer is that there are two separate costs, and most people only budget for one. This guide breaks down both, so you know what to expect before you hire anyone.

The two costs

• Ad spend. This is the money you pay Google when people click your ads. It goes to Google, not to the agency.
• Management fee. This is what you pay the person who builds, runs and optimizes your campaigns.

How much ad spend do you need?

We recommend at least $1,500 per month in ad spend, and more in competitive industries. The right number depends on your industry, because every industry has a different cost per click. A click for a plumber, a law firm and an online clothing store can cost very different amounts. Your budget has to be large enough to buy enough clicks to learn from. If it is too small, Google never gets enough data to optimize, and results stay slow and unreliable.

We provide a specific budget proposal for your industry, based on your goals and your market.

What does management cost?

Our fee is a percentage of ad spend, on a sliding scale from 20% down to 10%. The percentage drops as your budget grows. There is a $1,000 per month minimum service fee. For some accounts we can offer a flat monthly fee, which we discuss in your proposal. We confirm the exact fee before you start.

What management includes

We build, launch and manage every campaign type on Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising: Search, Shopping, Performance Max, Display, Video and Demand Gen. That covers keyword research, ad copy, conversion tracking, bid and budget management, negative keywords and regular optimization.

What is not included

Ad creative is normally supplied by you. If you want us to create it, graphic design and video editing are separate services at a separate cost.

How long until you see results?

Expect about 3 months for reliable results. The first 4 to 6 weeks are for collecting data and early signals, such as click quality and cost per lead. By month three there is enough data to scale what works.

Do you need a long term contract?

No. We work month to month. We do strongly recommend staying at least 3 months, though. Campaigns need that long to collect enough data to learn. Stopping earlier is counterproductive, because you pay for the learning period and leave before the results come.

How to compare quotes

• Ask whether the fee is a flat rate or a percentage of spend.
• Ask who actually manages your account.
• Ask how conversions will be tracked and reported.
• Ask about contract length and cancellation.
• Be careful with any promise of guaranteed results.

Not sure where your budget should start?

Request a free audit and we will tell you honestly what we would do.

Get a Free Audit →

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